Still Thought 16 August 2007

The target of religion is to educate love and co-orperation among people, so that the society will be peaceful.

Still Thought 15 August 2007

農曆七月的真正意義

農曆七月的真正意義　應是吉祥、感恩、孝親與歡喜
◎劉星妤整理／花蓮報導

時序進入農曆七月，從佛教的觀點，七月乃是吉祥月，也是感恩月，同時也是孝親月，更重要的也是歡喜月。今日（8/13）是今年農曆七月初一，證嚴上人勉勵，人人應該時時淨化身心，破除迷信、環保護生；時時虔誠禱告，期待天地調和，四時順暢，人人才有平安幸福的生活。

佛陀時代，出家人都以托缽為生，目的在於與普天下的人結好緣，在當時的印度，每到夏季多雨溼熱，許多有毒的蟲蟻出入。佛陀顧及出家人外出托缽的安全，並給與在家居士供僧植福的機會，從農曆四月十五日至農曆七月十五日三個月的時間，僧團「結夏安居」，出家人靜居修行，每日由在家居士至僧團居住地供養飲食用具。三個月後，出家人修行得到進境，佛陀非常歡喜，眾生感恩、吉祥。故有農曆七月是「歡喜月」、「感恩月」、「吉祥月」之稱。

「孝親月」，是來自在佛陀十大弟子之一目犍連尊者救母而供僧的典故。目犍連尊者為了解救墮入餓鬼道的母親，於農曆七月十五日（結夏圓滿日）供養眾僧，藉僧眾祝福的力量，解救了母親及同在地獄的受苦眾生。而後演變成「盂蘭盆會」，來到中國形成「普度」，提醒人人孝親感恩、行善布施，解救眾生身心苦難，這是「普度」的真義。

「普度」隨著過去的農業社會因為窮，平時吃的簡單，只有年節時可以藉著名目，製造飲食豐盛一些的機會，因此發展出普度的習俗，那個「度」，等於是肚子的「肚」。到現在家家戶戶「普度」，大肆宰殺、焚燒紙錢，祭拜孤魂野鬼以求平安，祈福變成了造業，燒紙錢製造空氣污染！與原先「普度」之意，已大不相同。


此外，農曆七月，民間禁忌特別多，現在人人，應該提升知識，了解農曆七月與普度的真正意義。證嚴上人鼓勵人人善用智慧，培養日日虔誠，時時感恩、孝親、吉祥，歡喜的心。

http://community.tzuchi.net/express.nsf/1d319212e01874e1482573250021df48/e0f1975356ff52f94825733600363318?OpenDocument

Still Thought 11 August 2007

History can be forgiven, but cannot be twisted

Making Bad Kids Good

Here is an article from an Australia story teller on making the bad kids turn good. If you have a hard time in disciplining your children, probably you can get some idea from the article....


Making Bad Kids Good
By John Shield, Australia

What makes kids bad? Are some children naturally bad or does their behaviour come from the adults who have responsibility for their care? Can a bad child be made better?

I don't claim to be able to give a definitive answer to the above questions, however I worked for many years with children in the role of storyteller and have made a few observations that could be useful to those who care for children.

From time to time I was asked to present storytelling workshops for children - to teach them to be storytellers. One school from a rather depressed area had a lot of trouble with the poor communication skills of their students. If a child had a problem they would often hit first and talk later. They thought I might be able to help to build their oral-language skills and turn this around. I'm not sure how successful I was in this however I'd like to pass on a little story that gives an idea of the sort of family these kids came from.

I had devised a fantasy game. The children were to make a wish and in the game it could come true. They could wish for anything they wanted.

One six-year-old girl said, "I don't want anything."

"Oh come on Chelsea," I coaxed. "Surely there is something you want."

"I already have a Barbie doll."

"There must be something else you want Chelsea."

"Can I wish for anything?"

"Yes, anything you want."

"OK. I wish for my Daddy to come home from jail."

Somehow I kept the workshop going but I admit it wasn't easy with tears filling my eyes.

Not just self esteem

In another suburb I was approached by a neighbourhood centre. This centre offered personal-development courses and counselling. They had offered self-esteem courses for children in the past but wanted something different.

"We don't want to offer just another self-esteem course but we want whatever we do offer to build self esteem. Will your storytelling course do that?"

I explained that the way I taught storytelling was to acknowledge the skills that my students already had. I would simply get them talking in the first lesson and I would feed back to them all the good things they were doing. This usually surprises most people, children or adults. They are usually unaware of the skills they have because our society focuses more on the negative. They can see whatever I tell the other students is always true so they have to believe I'm telling them the truth too. This boosts their confidence and over the duration of the course their skills improve along with their confidence.

They liked my explanation and the course was booked. "Sometimes we get parents who come in here for counselling because they can't cope with their kids. Is it OK if we include some of their kids too?"

"Sure," I said but I didn't realize that most of my students would comprise these kids.

I realized in the first lesson that these kids were generally a pretty wild lot. I was given about ten of them. A few had been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) i.e. they have very short attention spans and have trouble sitting still for very long. I realize that a teacher, with about 30 in a class, can't cope with students running wild. However, I looked at it a little differently. I believe we are individuals and our brains each have different strengths and weaknesses. Some of us learn best by listening or looking or a combination of the two but some are kinesthetic i.e. their brains function best when they are moving. I had several of these in my group.

I wanted them to use their brains but had to set boundaries. I made it clear that they were free to move around as they needed so long as they didn't disturb another student. They understood this and did their best to comply. The biggest challenge for me was a boy who had been put on a drug to calm him down. I gave the kids homework. They had to learn a story each week. This boy's mother told me he couldn't do it. I replied that I had different expectations of him. Unfortunately I was unsuccessful. The drug was too powerful. He was there physically but not mentally.

Acceptable for two hours each week

The other kids were there well and truly. They learned to tell stories, they had fun and week by week they started to think more positively about themselves.

One day when I arrived I was introduced to a university student who was doing work experience at the centre. She asked if she could sit in on my class. I agreed.

She sat quietly observing. After an hour we took a break. "How can you handle this?" she asked.

I said, "These kids are a problem to their parents and teachers. Almost every adult in their life tells them how naughty they are. I can put up with them for just two hours a week. For two hours each week I want them to believe they are OK."

The course ended and we all said goodbye. Six months later the local library opened a new branch. I was invited to tell stories for the opening celebration. The families of most of my group came along.

After the performance several people came up to chat with me. One was the mother of one of my students. "I want to thank you for what you did for Lillian," she said.

"Lillian was one of the best in the group," I answered. "She was no trouble at all."

"Well, ever since Lillian did that course with you she has been a changed person."

"I'm not sure what you mean. All I did was to point out the skills she already had."

"Since she did that course she has been much happier and more confident. I want to thank you."

I accepted her thanks but, as I said, all I had done was acknowledge the skills that the child already had. Perhaps that had never happen before.

I believe that how we treat children, and indeed adults, is of crucial importance to the person they will become. If we treat them with respect they learn to respect themselves and others. If we treat them like idiots, don't be surprised if they behave like idiots.

http://www.tzuchimalacca.com/tc_world/tcworld87/e2-2.htm

The blog of John Shield is located at : http://oznasia.blogspot.com/

Still Thought 7 August 2007

Still Thought 6 August 2007

Hunter and The Prey

Tzu Chi In Perspective By David Liu
Translated By Lee Ren Hui

We are hunters when overcoming difficulties and difficulties become our prey. If we are overcome by difficulties, difficulties become hunters and we are trapped. Blindly chasing their prey, hunters often fail to enjoy the beautiful scenery along the way. When people are fanatically pursuing the five desires: money, sex, fame, food and sleep, they have no time for introspection. Smart hunters can hunt the prey in their soul; smart prey can always escape hunters.

Life is intriguing, sometimes we are hunters and sometimes we are the prey. When overcoming difficulties, we are hunters. When difficulties are upon us, difficulties become hunters and we are trapped like game.

Treat every process like a goal,
Likewise, treat every goal like a process;
Because of the commitment and mindfulness,
What we may reap could be far beyond the expectations.

When we are pursuing our goals in life, we are no different from hunters in pursuit of the goal of hunting. If we enjoy the experience of chasing, we will be more frank and not brood over gains or losses. Because we are not good at letting go, we often complain about the trivial which later turns into a physical and psychological burden. If we emphasize gains and losses we will tend to be fussy and relentless when heading towards our goals. These will become our desires and obsessions, which lead to bitterness.

By treating each process as a goal and every goal as a process, we will not anguish over outcomes that do not meet our ideals, because the outcome has been integrated into the process. Even if the results are not perfect, our dedication to the process has made the learning and growth significantly more important than the results from the harvest. This follows the Buddhist philosophy of, "Focus on the the process; do not be obsessed with results." Such is the wisdom for life.

The outcome is important,
But, the effort is not any less.
The philosophy is to seize every moment
And every karmic opportunity.

Once, Master Cheng Yen was asked: "What is eternity?" and Master replied: "Seize every moment at the present, as it is eternal." If one does not seize the present continuously, there will be no eternity. If we can grasp the process towards every goal, we will not be far from it. Conversely, if we treat the process perfunctorily, even if the goal is small or near, it will be difficult to achieve. The philosophy is to seize every moment and every karmic opportunity.

Prey is the goal of hunters but the process of hunting is also worth focusing on. Without concentration, we will be unable to amass the energy needed to pursue the target. This is like football matches, fans will be euphoric and full of expectations of scoring which becomes the target at the time. The same principle applies to basketball where frequent scoring is the necessary process towards winning. Life is the same, the results are important but the efforts during the process are even more crucial, as "A miss is as good as a mile off."

Drop the attitude of being self-centered.
Show care for others.
Focus on others and not just on one self.
Life would then be more meaningful.

Pursuit of fame, wealth, position is the same as a hunter chasing prey. Blindly chasing its prey, hunters will fail to enjoy the beautiful scenery along the way. Similarly, fanatical pursuit of the "five desires" of money, sex, fame, food and sleep and "six senses" of sex, body, aroma, taste, touch, and dharma leave no time for introspection. Hearts that fail to appreciate beautiful scenery lack wisdom. To enjoy external beauty or a beautiful soul, it is necessary to appreciate life and slow down, calm your mind and soul. Deviate your concentration onto nature; transform selfishness into care for sentient beings. Then, we can truly understand the depth and meaning behind "Inside one grain of rice, the sun and moon are hidden; inside a half-litre pot, mountains and rivers are cooked".

A hunter, who emphasizes outcome, will always be fraught with tension, irritability and restlessness during a long hunting process. In fact, we often play an exhausting role, the more we struggle the deeper we get into the struggle. This is like a drowning person, the more he struggles, the deeper he goes under. Same as hang gliders, when encountering turbulence, the more we shake the airborne wings, the more risky. The bitterness of a "struggling trapped beast" and "snake-ridden trouble", are portrayals of troubles in life. This is because we have become the panic-stricken animals pursued by hunters; restless, failing to see the situation, fleeing without direction and eventually we fall into the trap set by hunters.

Life is like a big net, we are like birds caught within the net. To be able to fly within the net, it is necessary to choose one's mate wisely and sincerely, cohabiting with each other in harmony, in love and care, working towards mutual achievements, as this is the only way to fly farther and higher. Only by flying far and high, we can escape hunters' sights and find peace and tranquility in life. "Hunters with wisdom of life can hunt the prey they want; prey with wisdom of life, can always escape the hunters."

http://www.tzuchimalacca.com/tc_world/tcworld87/e1-2.htm

Still Thought 4 August 2007

Organ Donation

In the Star's news article "Desire to help fullfilled after death", parents of a 21 years old mechanic who has passed away after an accident, have donated his organ to help others.

I would like to pay my greatest gratitude and respect to the parents of this young man. By donating the organs of their son, they can save the few life of others...

I think organ donation is still not quite a commom practice in our country here...

You can find information on organ donation at http://www.rayma.com.my/giftoflife/FAQ.html..

Beside the organ donation after death, people can also donate their bone marrow when they are alive. Bone marrow transplantion can help the patient of thalassaemia (genetic blood disorder).

If you want to sign up or require further information on organ and bone marrow donation, you can visit your nearest Red Crescent branch.....

Inventor of Elevator

Ever notice the name "OTIS" when you are using the elevator??..

It is the surname of its inventor, ELISHA GRAVES OTIS..

Following are some information on the inventor:

Elisha Graves Otis

The American manufacturer and inventor Elisha Graves Otis (1811-1861) was one of the inventors of the modern elevator and founded a company for their manufacture.
Elisha Otis was born near Halifax, Vt., where his father was for many years a justice of the peace and a state legislator. He received a common education in his hometown and at the age of 19 moved to Troy, N.Y., where he went into the construction trade. Poor health caused him to turn to hauling goods between Troy and Brattleboro, Vt. In a pattern that he was to repeat several times in his life, he saved enough money to start his own operation, in this case a small gristmill.


About 1845 Otis was again forced by ill health to change jobs. He moved to Albany, N.Y., where he became a master mechanic in a bedstead factory. Eventually he opened a small machine shop in that city. Again he was forced to give it up and became a master mechanic in a factory in Bergen, N.J. His son, Charles, then just 15 years old, was so proficient at machine work that he was made an engineer with the same firm.

In 1852 the firm sent Otis to Yonkers, N.Y., to supervise the installation of machinery in a new factory, and there he made some improvements in the elevator with which he was working. He showed the improvements in New York and applied for a patent on the device. The elevator consisted of a platform which was raised by a rope between two vertical posts. On the inside of each post was a rack designed to catch two pawls set in the platform frame when the lifting stopped. In 1854 it was reported that "the pawls are prevented from bearing against the racks during the upwards movement of the frame, and much friction is obviated thereby, and if the rope should break, or be loosened from the driving shaft, or disconnected from the motive power accidentally, the platform will be sustained, and no injury or accident can possibly occur, as the weight is prevented from falling."

Scientific American called the device "excellent" and said that it was "much admired" in New York. Receiving several orders for elevators, Otis again set up his own shop and with the aid of his son began their manufacture. He continued to invent and patent other devices, but his elevator business grew only slowly and was still rather small when he died, a comparatively young man. His son carried on the firm. With the growth of cities and the introduction of the apartment house and the skyscraper in the years after the Civil War, Otis elevators came to lead the field. (source: http://www.answers.com/topic/elisha-otis)

Still Thought 3 August 2007

Aim For The Cup Or Coffee

A group of graduates, highly established in their careers, got togetherto visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned intocomplaints about stress in work and life.

Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups -porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive,some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the coffee.

When all the students had a cup of coffee, the professor said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leavingbehind the simple and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to wantonly the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems andstress. Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee.

In most cases, it is just more expensive and in some cases even hideswhat we drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup,but you consciously went for the best cups... Then you began eyeing eachother's cups. Now consider this: Life is the coffee; the jobs, money andposition in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold andcontain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor changethe quality of Life we live. Sometimes, by concentrating on the cup, wefail to enjoy the coffee God has provided us. Enjoy your coffee!."

The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything. The happiest people in the world are not thosewho have no problems,but those who learn to live with things that areless than perfect.

1. Live simply.
2. Love generously.
3. Care deeply.
4. Speak kindly.
5. Leave the rest to God.

You are the miracle, my friend;
Your life either shines a light OR casts a shadow!
Shine a light & Enjoy the Coffee!!! :)

Still Thought 2 August 2007

LED Screen At Bus Station-Singapore

An article from Sin Chew Daily:

"（新加坡訊）新加坡烏節路的兩個巴士站已率先設置“實時巴士抵站訊息熒幕”，方便乘客即時掌握巴士到站所需的時間，以便更有效的規劃行程。

位於美麗殿（Le Meridien）購物中心和烏節廣場酒店對面的達爾菲大廈（Delfi Orchard）前的巴士站，是30個參與為期半年試驗計劃的其中兩個巴士站。

其餘28個巴士站將陸續在8月底之前安裝新的LED熒幕，提供即時巴士抵站訊息。這些巴士站中，有20個在烏節路，5個在宏茂橋，另5個在義順，都是乘客流量較高的巴士站。

除了熒幕，陸路交通管理局也會在8月底之前，在烏節路36個巴士站，推出圖文並茂的巴士路線圖，清楚標出主要巴士路線所經過的地鐵站和地標。

新加坡交通部長林雙吉週一到烏節路巴士站視察後說︰“有了電子熒幕，乘客就能知道巴士幾時到站，這將顯著改善公眾搭巴士的整體體驗，間接鼓勵更多人把公共交通視為首選代步工具。”

新巴士抵站系統是陸交局委任歐洲IT公司Steria集團負責研發、裝置和測試，共耗資110萬元（約251萬令吉）。

陸交局說，新系統的準確度頗高，巴士抵站時間的誤差在3分鐘左右。

Steria總裁（亞洲）埃哈拉爾受訪時指出，這個已在法國、德國和挪威等地採用的新系統，可根據需求做出調整，提供其他方面的訊息如巴士故障、車禍或交通阻塞等。

8個月前從日本到新加坡工作的微軟分析員甲斐久仁子說，日本所有巴士站都有提供準確的巴士川行時間表，抵新初期她搭巴士時有點不習慣。

她說︰“知道下一趟巴士幾時到站後，至少我可以趁它還沒來之前，先到附近買點東西，不需在巴士站苦等。"

According to article, the Singapore transport department is placing LED screen at bus station to let the public know the estimated time of bus arrival..By end of August, they will update the system that will also show the bus route and also rail station and landmark that the bus will be passing through. The system can be also upgraded to show information such as the accident on the road and traffic jam. The move is to encourage more people to use the public transport in Singapore..

Our government has constantly asking the public to use public transport....However, I think the public transportation system here has not been designed properly...That's one of the reason why Malaysian do not like to use public transport...

I remember the days when I have to use the bus to go to work...Have to go out at least half an hour earlier because scare to miss the bus...Never know the time when the bus is going to arrive..sometime arrive earlier than usual and sometime very late... :(

And sometime the bus do not want to stop because it is loaded with too many people...So, have to wait for at least half an hour or more for the second bus which you never know will come on time or not....

So, if the government do really want to encourage more people to use the public transport, they should have plan and design a better transportation system like our neighbour, Singapore...

It's already 50 years since our independence...time to have some improvement.....

Beautiful Little Thought....

Got the following from a mail forwarded by a friend....